Once the image creation is complete, you will see the screen below.In the dialogue box that appears, select a destination folder on a separate drive (like a USB stick) for your image backup file.Then, select your hard drive from the middle pane and click Byte-to-byte backup. On the left sidebar, click Drive Backup.Download and install Disk Drill for Windows, then launch it.We’ll also be using Disk Drill in one of the methods in the next section.

It’s not only powerful and easy to use, but its byte-to-byte backup feature is 100% free. Our backup tool of choice for this demonstration is a data recovery software called Disk Drill Data Recovery. As opposed to a regular backup, an image backup copies your entire drive byte-per-byte, including cache files and other easy-to-overlook data.

How to Back Up Data Before Windows 10 Reinstallationīefore proceeding with reinstallation, we highly suggest that you first create an image backup of your drive in case something goes wrong. DIY attempts on a physically damaged drive will likely result in permanent data loss. If you suspect Windows 10 is malfunctioning due to physical damage to the system drive, then we highly suggest you send your device to a professional data recovery service and have them secure your data before your computer stops working.

Reinstall windows 10 from usb